The Blues have slipped 10 points behind leaders Manchester United following last weekend's defeat by West Ham but Benitez was encouraged by the 6-1 Champions League thrashing of Nordsjaelland in midweek.

"The last game was really good. We can talk about the level of the other team, but it was the Champions League," he said.

"The intensity was fantastic and I was really pleased with the performance of the players. At 75 minutes we were still pushing and pushing.

"It was the same at 86 minutes, so I think they showed the character they have.

"Fernando Torres was working very hard and the team was better attacking. He scored two more goals and hopefully there will be more."

Chelsea travel to Sunderland this weekend, while their two nearest rivals face each other in the Manchester derby, with Benitez adding: "My thoughts are clear - we have to win against Sunderland and we can be closer to at least one of them.

"If we can be closer sooner rather than later, much better. Obviously we'll have our chances if we start winning games."

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t's wrong to be making a joke out of Bender's name at the expense of gay people. It's the kind of childish, uncivilised thing that Football365 would deride and ridicule if it was another media outlet saying. Why is there a need for jokes like this? Does it make your writers feel like men? F365 might suggest that I 'lighten up', but it is genuinely traumatic for people who have been oppressed all their lives to be the butt of jokes, and to be told...

ou can't blame De Gea for wanting to leave, he has enough to do in front of goal as it is as well as taking on the role of Man Utd's version of Derek Acorah in trying to contact and organise a defence that isn't there.